Paralegal - Costs

DAC Beachcroft LLP; Newport; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Income protection insurance

Discounted gym membership

Work‑life balance

Job summary

DAC Beachcroft LLP in Newport (UK) is seeking a Paralegal - Costs to join the CSG - Strategic team. You will handle costs challenges up to £100,000 and support quality control, reporting, and financial management across civil litigation matters.

The role is full-time, based in Newport or Birmingham, offering a solid path to professional development, engagement with diverse cases, and exposure to high-value costs work within a leading national firm.

Qualifications

• Graduate or paralegal with an interest in costs and litigation.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Strong prioritisation and organisation; plan time effectively.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for liaising with clients and colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Handle a caseload of costs challenges up to £100,000.
• Quality control and benchmark compliance on own caseload.
• Demonstrate high levels of financial management on own files.
• Hit and maintain targets of chargeable time and budgeted hours (1440 per year).

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Analytical skills

Prioritisation

Commercial sense

Resilience

Commitment

Cultural alignment

Education

Undergraduate degree in Law or equivalent

Job description

Paralegal - Costs

Department: CSG - Strategic (Advocacy / Costs / Safety, Health and Environment / Criminal / Abuse / Travel)

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Newport

Description

The CSG costs product currently deals with 700 instructions a month dealing with a wide range of work types referred from all the different clusters within DAC Beachcroft. The strategic aim of the department is to provide litigation costs expertise on demand across the broad range of work carried out throughout the business from low value injury claims to complex multi-million international commercial litigation.

The costs product comprises several distinct teams specialising in a specific area of costs including paying party teams (challenging claims for costs of up to £100,000) and two complex claims teams.

There are also two receiving party recovery teams. An opportunity has arisen for at least one paralegal role within the paying party section. The paying party section consists of three teams and deals with claims of costs arising from a wide variety of civil litigation including personal injury, disease, clinical negligence, property damage, cyber, commercial and accidents abroad. There is also a Scottish jurisdiction unit.

This is a full-time position to be based in either our Birmingham or Newport offices.

What you will do?

Specific responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Handle a case load of costs challenges where individual costs claims are up to £100,000 in value.
• Assume responsibility for quality control and benchmark compliance on own caseload, including accuracy and timeliness of management reporting and information.
• Demonstrating a high level of financial management in respect of own files.
• To hit, maintain and apply a consistent approach to all individual targets of chargeable time, financial performance, realisation rates, settlement rates and average claim spend, achieving a minimum budgeted annual target of 1440 chargeable hours per year.
• Maintaining and developing technical knowledge through attendance at training sessions, reading appropriate publications.

Who you are

We are happy to hear from graduates or those with customer service/retail experience who are team players and have the passion for learning. We'd also like to hear from Paralegals who may already have experience working in a legal environment.

You will have;

• Undergraduate degree in Law or equivalent.
• Have an ability to adopt a commercial perspective to legal issues rather than a purely academic approach.
• Must be able to work under pressure and be dedicated to meet required deadlines.
• Prioritisation and Organisation Skills - the ability to structure your time well, prioritise work effectively and recognise when to ask for help.
• Interpersonal skills - communication skills to liaise with clients, intermediaries and colleagues on the phone and in person.
• Analytical skills - The Ability to critically look at factual evidence, identify key legal arguments and apply the same.
• Commercial sense - The Ability to know the principle or law but also know when is it worth pursuing it.
• Resilience - The Ability to stand their ground in a telephone negotiation and to receive feedback.
• Commitment and enthusiasm - with a professional attitude.
• Alignment with the Firm’s Cultural Principles (Clear, Creative, Determined and Supportive).

What's in it for you?

• High levels of flexibility and a great work life balance - https://www.dacbeachcroft.com/en/Work-with-us/Whats-in-it-for-you
• A well-rounded remuneration package (which includes private medical insurance, income protection insurance and discounted gym membership, amongst many other benefits)
• Opportunities for growth and progression including professional funding
• In person and remote social events
• Opportunity to get involved in a range of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) activities

We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, which aligns closely to our cultural principles (Determined, Clear, Creative and Supportive). You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!